So, you’re curious about living in New Mexico? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
The expert movers, travelers, and worldwide locals that make up the team at Relocalate.com are here to help.
We’ve compiled the ultimate guides to answer the most common questions people just like you have about living in the great state of New Mexico.
Dive deep into the topics you’re interested in to make sure your new home in New Mexico matches what you’re looking for.
We’ll explore whether New Mexico is a good place for YOU to live, and we’ll highlight some of the best cities for you to visit, explore, and ultimately call home.
Pros and Cons of Living in New Mexico
You’ve heard it before, and it’s true: no place is perfect. What matters is how good of a fit it is for you.
Relocalate.com is here to help you decide whether New Mexico is the best place for YOU to live.
Here are some reasons to love living in New Mexico:
- The cost of living is low. The median home price in NM is $199,000 and the median annual wage for a full time worker is about $40,700.
- It has tons of natural beauty–from red rocks to canyons to snowy mountains.
- You’ll also find that New Mexico offers over 300 days per year of sunshine!
- And we have some pretty big cities too with Albuquerque being one of them.
- There are plenty of outdoor activities like hiking or exploring ruins just minutes from your doorstep.
- It doesn’t rain much here so you won’t need to pack that old umbrella either!
And, on the flip side, here are some of the downsides of living in New Mexico:
- NM summers get really hot and very dry. This can be a big adjustment for some newcomers.
- You may not be able to find the same food as back home.
- Transportation is expensive here, but thankfully we have some super cool bus systems that take care of getting from one place to another!
Read More: Is New Mexico a Good Place to Live?
Best Place to Live in New Mexico
So, you’ve got your heart set on living in New Mexico? Well, the decision making doesn’t end there. You’ve still got to decide where to live in New Mexico!
In some other articles, we’ll dive deeper into some of the best places to live in New Mexico.
Our experts have considered a whole bunch of different criteria to select the top locations, including:
- The best places to live for families, retirees, singles, young adults, outdoor lovers, foodies, and more.
- The safest places to live.
- The cheapest places to live.
- The best schools.
- The best job markets.
- The best housing markets.
- And so much more.
Just want a quick list? No worries, here are some of the best cities to live in New Mexico:
- Albuquerque
- Las Cruces
- Los Alamos
Read More: Best Places to Live in New Mexico
Checklist for Moving to New Mexico
So now you’re preparing for your big move to New Mexico. Maybe you’ve even started packing!
As you probably already know, there are a lot of things to take care of when you’re moving. Both in your current state and once you get to New Mexico.
Here are some of the major things you’ll want to take care of when you move to New Mexico:
- Updating your address with USPS.
- Getting your New Mexico driver’s license.
- Transferring your vehicle titles and registrations to New Mexico
- Getting New Mexico car insurance.
- Signing up for health insurance in New Mexico and finding new doctors, dentists, and local hospitals.
- Updating/changing other insurance policies you may need (homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance, pet insurance, motorcycle insurance, etc.)
- Registering to vote in your district in New Mexico.
- Updating your address with your banks, credit cards, subscription services, loans, investments, phone plans, and bill pay.
- Enrolling your kids in their new school district.
- Licensing your pets and finding a new vet.
- Setting up your utilities for your new home.
- Preparing to file state taxes for New Mexico and your previous home state.
Visit your New Mexico Moving Checklist for a detailed guide on all of the above.
Read More: Moving to New Mexico Checklist
While we’re at it, let’s cover some high-level questions and fun facts about New Mexico.
Things to Know About Living in New Mexico
As you’re preparing for your move or getting settled into your new home in New Mexico, here are some things to know about living there.
Cost of Living in New Mexico
One thing to consider when moving to a new state is the relative cost of living.
New Mexico ranks 11th on the Cost of Living Index with an overall rating of 90.9, meaning it’s a relatively cheaper place to live.
Here is how New Mexico scores for the cost of living in each specific category:
- Groceries: 94.6
- Housing: 84.4
- Utilities: 89.9
- Transportation: 98.5
- Health: 97.9
- Miscellaneous: 91.9
The average cost of living in this index is scored at 100. The numbers above represent the percentage of the average. A number higher than 100 represents an above average cost of living, while a number lower than 100 represents a lower cost of living. A lower rank indicates a lower cost of living.
This data comes from the Cost of Living Index prepared by the Council for Economic Research (C2ER), which compiles data from cities across the country to rank and compare the differences in costs of living.
Sales Tax Rates in New Mexico
Sales tax is a way that state and local governments collect tax revenue from its residents and visitors.
These taxes are applied when you purchase something. It’ll show up on your receipt or bill. If you’ve recently moved to New Mexico from somewhere else, the new sales tax rates may surprise you.
On top of the state sales tax rates, local rates for certain counties and cities may apply and vary as well.
New Mexico’s state sales tax rate is higher than the national average at 5.13%, with an average local rate of 2.71% (the highest local sales tax rate is 4.31%). Across the state, the average sales tax rate is about 7.83%.
Check with the New Mexico tax office for the most current tax rates.
Real-Estate Property Tax Rates in New Mexico
If you own or plan to own real estate in New Mexico, you’ll want to think about the property tax rates when you move there.
New Mexico ranks 17th (from low to high) for its state property tax rate of 0.80%.
There may be additional property taxes on top of the rate stated here depending on your county, city, and school districts.
Check with the New Mexico tax office for the most current tax rates.
New Mexico’s Job Market & Economy
Another thing to think about when moving to New Mexico is the job market and economic indicators.
Overall, New Mexico ranks 38th for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States.
The GDP measures the overall monetary value of all goods and services produced within a certain place over a period of time.
Its top 10 industries (ranked from largest to smallest by economic contribution to the state) are:
- Real estate and rental and leasing
- Professional and business services
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Educational services, health care, and social assistance
- Retail trade
- Manufacturing
- Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services
- Construction
- Finance and insurance
- Wholesale trade
The top employer in New Mexico is University of New Mexico.
Notable Destinations and Landmarks in New Mexico
Our New Mexico moving guide wouldn’t be complete without a brief mention of some of the most iconic destinations in the state.
When you get settled in, a road trip may just be in order.
One of the most iconic landmarks in New Mexico is Carlsbad Caverns.
National Parks that you can visit in New Mexico include:
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- White Sands National Park
National Monuments that you can find in New Mexico include:
- Aztec Ruins National Monument
- Bandelier National Monument
- Capulin Volcano National Monument
- El Malpais National Monument
- El Morro National Monument
- Fort Union National Monument
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
- Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
- Petroglyph National Monument
- Prehistoric Trackways National Monument
- Río Grande del Norte National Monument
- Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
These destinations are all great places to visit when you get a chance.
Facts about New Mexico
New Mexico is the 47th state of the United States that lies in the western region. To its north is Colorado, to its south is Mexico, to its east is Texas, and to its west is Arizona.
What is the capital of New Mexico?
The capital of New Mexico is Santa Fe.
Santa Fe is located in Santa Fe County with a population of 75,764.
What is the population of New Mexico?
The population of New Mexico based on 2020 US Census data is 2,117,522.
What is the largest city in New Mexico?
The largest city in New Mexico is Albuquerque.
Albuquerque has a population of 560,218, and it is located in Bernalillo County.
What is the size of New Mexico?
New Mexico is 121,590 square miles, making it the 5thlargest state in the U.S.
What is the state motto of New Mexico?
The state motto of New Mexico is: Crescit eundo
What is the state bird of New Mexico?
The state bird of New Mexico is the Greater roadrunner.
What is the state flower of New Mexico?
The state flower of New Mexico is the Yucca flower.
What is the state tree of New Mexico?
The state tree of New Mexico is the Piñon Pine.
What is the minimum wage in the state of New Mexico?
The minimum wage in New Mexico is $10.50 per hour.
What is the median income in New Mexico?
The median annual household salary in New Mexico is $47,169.